Russia to intensify attacks on ships to block Ukraine’s grain corridor – Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia will intensify attacks on civilian vessels and port infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt the operation of Ukraine’s Black Sea grain corridor. According to him, the Ukrainian government anticipated such actions several months ago and therefore decided to restore a separate Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food to focus specifically on agricultural logistics and exports. “We understood this several months ago. They will do everything to block our grain corridor. Yesterday, not a single vessel was able to enter the port because they attacked every ship. They will intensify these attacks,” the president said.

Zelenskyy stressed that preparations for the coming winter involve not only the energy sector but also agriculture, as grain export logistics are a key element of Ukraine’s economic resilience. He said this was the reason for appointing a dedicated minister to oversee the agricultural sector, while the new infrastructure minister will focus on accelerating the implementation of national resilience plans. “Logistics, grain, agriculture and energy are all critically important. The resilience plans are also important, and I am dissatisfied with their implementation. We need to move much faster. This is the top priority for the new infrastructure minister,” the head of state said.

Recent Russian attacks have already significantly affected the operation of Ukraine’s maritime corridor. According to the Ukrainian government, on July 22 not a single vessel was able to enter Ukrainian ports because of continuous attacks, which officials described as deliberate economic and humanitarian terror at the height of the harvest season. In response to the escalation of attacks on civilian shipping, Ukraine has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on July 27.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi said recent Russian strikes on port infrastructure, including the July 19 missile attack on a corn vessel that killed ten seafarers, temporarily halted the arrival of ships loading agricultural commodities at Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. The attacks create additional risks for grain exports and the operation of Ukraine’s agricultural logistics chain.

Tags: Ukraine, Russia, export, agricultural products, restrictions, war, Black Sea grain corridor